Primeval Zerus
by Atlas the Worldbuilder
Summary: Zerus. Homeworld of the Zerg. Here, they first evolved. Here, they were corrupted and stolen. Those left behind are the Primal Zerg. They remain here, fighting...killing...evolving... This is the story of one Primal Zerg, who discovered a wider world than it could have ever imagined... [Primal Zerg]
1. Prologue, Ch 1: Awaken

Prologue, ch1:

* * *

Awake.

Hunger. Food. Essence.

Where?

Liquid. Air. Cold. Hungry.

Movement. Nearby. Food. Consume.  
Struggling. Bite.  
Essence. Delicious.

...

...changed. Can...feel. Can see.

Must change again. Need essence.

In liquid. Light above. Dark below.

Surface. Feel cold. Air above. Hard to breath.

See blue. See green. Tall thing. Brown thing. Green bits. Rustling.  
Tall-green big. Far away.

Food?

Feel movement. Descend. Follow senses. Consume essence. Change.

See bug-thing. Has flap things. Helps move. Need flap-things.  
Bite legs. Bug-thing moves.  
Bite harder. Bug thing stops.  
Consume meat. Collect essence.

Changing. Feel things...new things.  
Things on sides. Flaps. Flaps on sides.  
Can move faster. Flaps go fast.

Surface again. Look for tall thing. Go to tall-green.  
Getting closer. Liquid shallow. Go down. Touch floor. Go forward.

Liquid stops. Floor keeps going. Tall thing farther.  
Can't flap anymore. No liquid. Hard to move.  
Wiggle forward. Flap left. Flap right. Flap left. Flap right.|  
Flaps touch floor? Helps move.

Changing...

...

Changed again. Can breathe again.  
Hooked flaps. Better for floor-moving. Squirm forwards.

See food. Food flops. Food can't floor-move.  
Easy food. Food won't move.  
Bite down. Consume food.

...

Changed? Feel bigger. Feel...more. Can feel more. See more.

Moving to tallgreen. Must find food. Getting closer.

At tallgreen. Must go up...how?|  
Touch tallgreen. Feels...rough. Hook flaps onto tallgreen. Can go up.

How tall?

Tallgreen has flaps too. Flaps on limbs. Climb onto limb.

Tired...rest...

* * *

End Ch 1


	2. Prologue, Ch 2: Tallgreen Life

Prologue, Ch 2:

* * *

Changed much since first climb.  
Now have legs. Claws. Can grab and climb.  
Better biting parts. Mouth. Bite stronger. Consume more.

Collected much essence.  
Ate shield-bug. Grew armor.  
Ate spindle-walker. Can make sticky stuff. Make sticky catchers. Catches food.

Living in tallgreen. Found hole in trunk. Goes deep. Live inside hole. Set sticky catcher near home.

Sticky stuff good.

Can see much from high up. See old home. Liquid home. Large. See many tallgreens. All around pool.  
Sometimes see shapes around tallgreens. Shapes move quick. Can't see well.

Can see sky. Sky changes. Sometimes bright light. Can see colors.  
Sometimes not light. Can't see well. Hear many sounds.  
Sometimes, when not light, can see specks in sky. Too far to reach.

Good home... plenty food...  
...am...content...

...

Found new food. Big food. Eats smaller food... food-eater?  
Found food-eater. Will follow. Watch close.

Food eater strong. Has grabber-claws. Tried sticky-catching food eater. Claws tore apart sticky catcher. Big and strong.  
Has spiked tail. Tail spike stabs food. Food stops moving. Tail bad.

Food-eater... eats much.

...

Food-eater... could eat me...  
...do not want be food.  
Must eat food-eater before eats me.

...

How stop food-eater?  
Must follow. Watch quietly.

Food-eater gets food when not-light. Sleeps when light.  
Small eyes. Doesn't see well. Feels with long legs.

Followed to eater's home. Lives in another hole.  
Could food-eater get caught in home?

...

Eater has left. Will food-eat.  
Now can see eater home.  
Perhaps will put sticky stuff all inside...

...oh.

See another eater.  
Little eater.

Hmm... can little eater be food?

Little eater probably has spiked tail too. Should not reach in.  
Must make little eater come out... how?

Hmm...

...

Return home. Grab food in sticky catcher. Will use food against little eater.|  
Sneak back. Place sticky stuff around hole entrance.

Now...

 **Come out, little eater... food for you...**

 **Yes... come... come get food...  
Closer... closer...**

NOW!  
Sticky catcher has caught little eater!  
Must grab tail before get stabbed!

There! Now use sticky stuff to tie down tail!

Sticky stuff very, very good.

Now... **must collect essence**...

* * *

End Ch 2


	3. Prologue, Ch 3: Food-Eater Fight

Prologue, ch 3

* * *

Have been busy since eating little-eater.  
Making Sticky-catchers. Preparing to fight big eater.

Going to catch big eater. Use sticky stuff to trap legs.  
Then, wrap tail and claws up. Tie down.  
Finally, bite head. Eater will stop. Will eat food-eater.

Making more catchers. Some high, some low. Some big. Some small.  
Using sticky to make threads. Tie threads to catchers. Then string to home.  
When catcher has caught, thread wiggles. Then can follow thread to catcher.

When eater gets caught, will know where.

Now...wait...

Have changed some. Collected essence from little eater.  
Grew more legs. Arms. Small arms with claws. Use to grab sticky stuff. Make sticky catchers better.

Ate little eater's tail. Felt weird...came home. Slept. Feel better now.  
This how food-eater gets food? Food-eater's tail...makes food feel weird?

Do not want be stung by tail.

Perhaps can - THERE!  
Something is caught! May be it!

...

Have followed string. Still wiggling. Caught thing still struggles.

Getting closer...

There.

There it is...feet are caught. Trying to get out.  
Now, must quietly sneak behind and sticky-catch tail...

Carefully...

...

 **NO!** Eater knew! It got free! Grabbed arm!  
Trying to sting! Have grabbed tail, holding back. So strong!  
Ah...ow...grabber-claw squeezes arm. Hurts! Must get free quick!  
Will force tail down, tie to body. Then can pull arm loose!

Almost...there! Now, pull!

Ow, ow, OW! **AAAAAAAAAAAGH**!

 **MY ARM!  
BACK AWAY! **

Ow...eater pulled arm apart. Hurts.  
Hurts so much.  
Have tied tail down. But tries to free itself!  
Now what?!

Another sticky trap further down path! Can lure food-eater to trap, and tie up tail!

Eater breaks free. Is angry. Trying to find me. Using feeler-legs.  
Must try to get attention...

...take sticky, and make string. Now, to stick feeler leg...  
...stuck! It spins, faces me! It charges! I flee down path to trap!  
Come! Try to sting now!

Yes! Tail caught by trap! It tries reach behind, but cannot!  
Now, to tie up claws! Spraying sticky at eater's claws! Claws stuck!  
Now will go around and around eater. Wrap up with sticky. Quickly, quickly...

Food-eater struggles, but sticky too strong for it now.

Am so glad collected sticky stuff.

Now, to tie tail down. Carefully-ACK!  
It stung me!

...but...not feel weird?  
...ok, maybe little weird. But not as bad. Strange?  
Have become resistant to stinging?

...or collected sting power? But have no sting on tail!  
Hmm...must test later.

Now, must...stop eater struggling...  
Bite behind eyes. Bite hard.  
Feel food-eater struggling. Growing weaker...

Food-eater is still...

...feel...tired...  
...rest...

...

Am back in hole. Resting. Feeling strings.

Food-eater not problem anymore. Dead.  
Consumed essence.  
Believe collected sting of food eaters. Have fangs in mouth.  
Arm is growing back slowly. Legs are stronger. Am stronger now.

But...

Notice food comes less.  
Haven't caught food in long time.  
Small food caught. Too small.

Has all food been eaten?

Or maybe was scared away?

Or...maybe grew too big?

Don't know.  
But end result same.  
Must leave. Must find food elsewhere.

See shapes on ground. Around tallgreens.  
They move quick, sometimes drink from pool.

...maybe shapes are food?

Will climb down...see what food can find.

Collect essence.  
Change...

...evolve...

* * *

End Prologue


	4. Floodland Arc, Ch 1: Capture

Arc 2, Ch 1

* * *

Grr...fly-eaters stole my food.  
Worked so hard to kill quill-gore, then flyers swoop down and push me away!

Looks like will have to try again...next time, go for smaller food, not big food...

...

Wish tallgreens had better paths. Used to leap between tallgreens, but then big winds came.  
Smashed tallgreens. Forced to ground...

Then again, am lucky so many tallgreens blew down. Can hide among them, can still climb to avoid flood-water...  
Only downside is sticky-catchers tear when tallgreens break.

Haven't seen sticky being used by food or food-eaters.  
Don't understand why not. Sticky stuff very useful! Flawless!

...well, almost. Could be more water-tight. Tried to make ground-den, covered with sticky.  
Then den flooded, and now am denless...again...

Hmm...waters still haven't gone away. Maybe this place watery before flood?

Oh! Maybe when find more standing tallgreens, can make sticky-paths above ground!  
Sticky not break from big winds, then could use to not be in flood-water!

If only could find something stronger than tallgreen to tie sticky to -

\- WAIT!

...

...there. Ripples. Something beneath surface. Maybe food...  
Must not disturb water...slowly climb above...  
...there...now, how to catch food in water?

Hmm...

...think line-catching might work. Let's try.

First, grab shieldbug nearby, and tie sticky line to bug.  
Next, weave line-string so sticky, yet strong.  
Then break one of shieldbug's wings, so can't fly away. Dumb flyers...

Now, gently lower bug...down to water...there, it floats on surface.  
Now to wait...let line rest in claws, feel for tugs...

...

...maybe should tie line to tallgreen, in case food is bigger tha-  
There!  
Something curious...BITE!  
Must hold strong! Food will tire out and get tangled!

Pull!...pull!...must be big water-food!

WOAH! Caught _very_ big water-food! Almost big as me!  
See sticky wrapped around leg and neck. Good, food tangled.  
Now lift higher...then tie line to tallgreen branch...there!  
And finally, wrap up food so it can't get away.

There! Fresh water-food, strung and ready to consume!  
 _Time to collect._

 _..._

Hmm...looks like food-eater. Has double-rows of teeth.  
Useful.  
Strong, thick skull...wide-opening jaws. Very good essence.  
Eyes...see below red?  
Hmm...already see full colors, but wonder...  
Will collect and see if useful.

Evolving...feel insides shift...head hurts...

...

...evolution complete. New fangs...and new eyes. Now to see- **AAAH!  
TOO BRIGHT! TOO BRIGHT! CAN'T SEE!**

Ow...shut eyes. Everything was too bright.  
Maybe new eyes aren't useful...

...

...wait...hear something...

...there, behind that tallgreen. Narrow head, raised eyes.  
Flyer...wants my food, no doubt.

...have already collected what is useful. Will leave the food for the scavengers.  
Will climb back up, and follow tallgreens to- **AAH!**

 **RUN AWAY!**

Water-eater jumped from below, tried to bite me!  
Lept away before it could grab, but can hear it following me!  
Can also hear flapping. Think flyer also wants food, too!  
If get far enough away, eaters should turn on each other or give up chase.

...

...they still follow. And they...don't fight?

Maybe if reach high ground, then will only have to worry about one eat- **NO!**

Grabbed! A big eater caught me!  
No! This isn't the end! Will fight!  
I!-

...wait, the chasing eaters...they stopped?

...they...work together?

* * *

End Ch 1


	5. Floodland Arc, Ch 2: Meeting

Arc 2, Ch 2

* * *

Sun setting...have travelled since sunpeak. Big eater too strong; have struggled to get free, and failed. Venom doesn't stop it, sticky doesn't stop it...

...doesn't try to eat me. Maybe wishes to take me to eater-den?

Flyer and water-eater have followed big-eater since capture. They not try to eat either.  
...confusing...

Do not understand...why don't they eat? Why don't they fight?  
Do they not collect essence? Thought all did that.

Thought...kill or be killed...?

...

Wait...we stop. Big eater makes noises to eater-followers. They noise back, and leave.  
...communicate through noises?

Big eater takes me through branches and green-stuffs. Takes me to big pond, surrounded by tallgreens...  
...can tell it goes deep. Can hide much below.

Finally am let go! Tossed me to ground. Get to feet, and spin round to face!

Big eater...very strong. Big, muscly arms with claws.  
Armored head, big fangs. Has two eyes, seem to glow. Spikes on back...like fins?  
Can see tail behind, long. Doesn't look like swimmer, but maybe...?

Make noise to it. It glance down, then...looks behind me...  
...something behind me...

...slowly turn around...ready for attack...

...

...see teeth...  
...all can see is teeth. Big, tooth-filled mouth. Covered in thick scales and fleshy whiskers.  
See four yellow eyes above mouth, staring.

...giant...

Trying to keep watch on both eater behind and Giant mouth in front. Hard to watch both...

Giant mouth makes noises to eater...they noise at one another. Cannot understand...

 ** _"Where did this beast come from?"_**  
 _"Killed Crass. Collected his essence."_  
 _ **"Is it a scout? From the other side?"**_ _  
"Don't think so. Didn't come from river."_

...don't understand them. What they doing?  
Giant looks to me. Makes noise at me.

 _ **"Who are you?"**_

...what say?! Can't understand!  
Spin round! Big eater nudged me...the Giant repeats the noises.

...they want me to noise back, yes? Shall give them noise!  
Shall scare them away!

"SKREEEEE!"

...

...didn't work. They still there.  
Big-Mouth and Eater noise again.

 ** _"Grond, teach this creature. It shall join us."_**  
 _"Yes, my King."_

NO! Am picked up again! GRAH!

Big-eater carries me away from the Giant. Takes me to big rock, sets me down.  
Scramble...can't jump to tallgreens, too far away. Can't leave rock...too much water around.

Big eater sits across me, and grabs something from bush. Looks...like food.  
It holds food out, within my reach...and speaks.

 _"This...meat..."_

...seeks to give food?  
...why?

...

Time passes. Eater doesn't try to attack...just holds the food to me.  
...but why?

...slowly reach for it. Eater speaks again.

 _"Meat...meat good..."_

Quickly, grab it and pull away before it can react!  
...Big Eater doesn't react. Why?!  
Sniff...food smells fresh. Not bad...

Finish my food, watching Eater cautiously. Brace! It raises its clawed hand...  
...and holds its claws to its chest. It makes a noise...

 _"Grond...me Grond."_

...Grond? What does Grond mean?  
...

* * *

End Ch 2


	6. Floodland Arc, Ch 3: Learning

Arc 2, Ch 3

* * *

Five and five suns have passed.  
Have learned much from one called 'Grond'. Grond teaches me many things.

Grond and other eaters use sounds called 'words'. Words describe things.  
Grond teaches me words, and gives food when me learn new words.

Have learned lots words from Grond. Learned about fruit-food and meat-food. Fruit-food grows from tallgreens, but meat-food comes from food-eaters. Some food-eaters eat only fruit-food. Some eat only meat-food, like me! Tried fruit-food, but fruit-food tastes weird. Some ok, but most gross.

Me also learning to count better. Grond says counting better helps to plan better.  
Learning to count groups of five, but still need to work on it.

...

Grond taught me about other eaters. Eaters here, part of 'pack'.  
Pack is what call many eaters living together, without fighting. They still fight, but not much.  
Our pack has many members. Can't count that many yet, but Grond says pack is strong, and that is what's important.

Have met five and two others in pack. Seems many in pack can swim.  
Corvus and Fang are eaters who helped Grond catch me. They like fighting each other, but Grond says it's ok.  
Brakk is like Grond, but dumber. Brakk talks loud, and thinks he's best. But Brakk is wimp, too scared to fight.  
Do not think Brakk will do well.

Packs have leaders. Our pack has big leader, lives in river.  
Leader is 'King of the River'. River is King's territory. Everyone follows River King's rules.  
Grond is second-leader. River King tells Grond what to do, and Grond tells us what to do.

...have not spoken to River King since capture. Grond says River King doesn't speak unless it's important.

...

 _"Kree, come. Must keep up, don't fall behind."_  
"Yes. Kree follows."

Grond calls me 'Kree'. Said me needed 'name'. All eaters have names, unless they too dumb to talk.  
Don't know why call me 'Kree', but now everyone does. So now am named Kree.

Grond leading group of us on 'patrol'. Every sunrise, sunpeak, and sunfall, patrol group walks along territory edge.  
Makes sure no bad packs or bigger eaters come into territory. If they find bigger eaters or bad packs, they fight them until bad eaters run away or die.

Trouble is, ground still flooded. Our pack adapted to swim. Me am not, stuck to tallgreen crawling.  
Follow best as can, but others faster. Better at water-swimming than me.

Me really wish could build sticky-trails above water...would help greatly.

...wait, Grond motions stop.

One of pack hears crashing branches. Invader!  
Enemy comes! We go, strike swift!

...

* * *

End Ch 3


End file.
